There isn't a Valley High, St. Kates, or College High 61er--or any All-60's grad from Valley City that hasn't spent some serious time at "The Dario!" Click on painting for a larger image. Thanks to Colleen (Bryngelson) Zick, whose Dad and Mom founded and operated The Dario for 22 years, we can browse some photos and news clips about this dining landmark of our youth in a special PDF "Dario Scrapbook." After document opens, items are best viewed by clicking on "print" command or "download" the file to your desktop for viewing there.
The Dario "gang," those who worked at one time or another--as well as ANYONE (hey, we were ALL customers!)--are invited to attend a special Dario Reunion at the Barnes County Historical Museum on Friday, July 9th, at 3:00 PM.
Also thanks to Bonnie (Cink) Ness, a VCHS 1965 grad, for sharing the above painting of the Dario by artist Gail Severson Boyer (now of Phoenix, AZ). According to Bonnie: "Gail attended Valley City schools until the 7th grade when her family moved to West Fargo. She became a painter late in life (50 years old) and is now very accomplished doing a lot of scenery and flowers. She has won high honors in Phoenix area contests. The above painting of the Dario will be available for sale at the Dario reunion (probably 5 x 7)."
The Dario "gang," those who worked at one time or another--as well as ANYONE (hey, we were ALL customers!)--are invited to attend a special Dario Reunion at the Barnes County Historical Museum on Friday, July 9th, at 3:00 PM.
Also thanks to Bonnie (Cink) Ness, a VCHS 1965 grad, for sharing the above painting of the Dario by artist Gail Severson Boyer (now of Phoenix, AZ). According to Bonnie: "Gail attended Valley City schools until the 7th grade when her family moved to West Fargo. She became a painter late in life (50 years old) and is now very accomplished doing a lot of scenery and flowers. She has won high honors in Phoenix area contests. The above painting of the Dario will be available for sale at the Dario reunion (probably 5 x 7)."
The photo from which the painting was rendered is in the Dario Scrapbook and is by Bonnie (Cink) Ness.
6 comments:
Larry,
Thank you for posting the excellent article on the Dari-O. Taylors, McKays, and my parents built it in 1952, and Taylors later sold (1958) and bought a drive-in in Jamestown. When the business first started, all of the hamburgers were made daily one at a time with a patty machine, the french fries were cut and blanched daily, and the owners even butchered and cut up their own chickens. I got a dollar for every one hundred pound sack of potatoes that it took the eyes from. I also remeber that the place was cleaned from top to bottom each day. Millers' Bakery provided the good bread products for the drive-in on a daily basis. Some of the first car hops were my brother, Jan Peterson Drugen and her sister Irene, Ellen Benzinger Zwick, LaDonna Deimert, Pam Webster, Jeanete Shock, the Dafoe sisters, and many more. My parents really enjoyed working with the young people of the community and enjoyed hearing from them even in their retirement years. My mother still converses well on a one-to-one or small group basis. She walks with a walker and is still able to take care of many of her needs. Short strokes took her short term memory, but she can still carry on a good converstion aabout present and past. She just told me today how much fun she had working with the kids and how many lives they had come in contact with over the years. Becky Raveling made a wonderful scrapbook dealing with the early experiences of the carhops. She even had the song that the carhops use to sing when they picked up garbage at the end of the evening. These pictures were made possible because of the work of Bonnie Cink Ness who held a celebration of the Dari-O workers at the last reunion. Et and my mother were presented with a wonderful booklet, which Bonnie had made, that contained the pictures displayed. Both ladies were also presented with a framed picture of the Dari-O. My mother was humbled and impressed! Bonnie is also responsible for the picture of Ed's popcorn stand. Jan Stowman was also in on some of the work for this celebration. A thank you goes out to them. My mother wanted m e to greet all of you and thank you for your friendship over the years. I do have to admit that the A&W also had good food and was owned by the Wolds.
You're most welcome, Colleen - VERY glad to have this history and visuals to share. Thank you for your work on this. It's fun catching-up! The Dario is definitely part of my heart and soul; how many times did we stop by with our dates during our teen years. And then, when my spouse, JoAnne, felt the need to go the hospital so our daughter, Lori, could be born--we stopped at the Dario first for a bite to eat. We went directly from the Dario to Mercy Hospital. Will never forget THAT!
What wonderful photos and boy oh boy do I remember the Dario. How many miles did we add to our cars by driving from the Dario to the A&W then up Central to the ballpark and back again on the same route? Over and over, all evening long! Hamburgers at the Dario and root beer floats at the A & W.
I am delighted to see the picture of Mrs. Bryngleson, and to hear that she is doing pretty well. She looks just the same as I remember her, except with her beautiful white hair now. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all live so long and still be able to visit with friends!
Thanks to all of you who put this information together!!
Colleen wrote that my parents sold their partnership in the Dario in 1958. She probably took that date from the separately posted Dario article. As Colleen wrote, after selling my parents purchased a Jamestown drive-in and moved there.
History is fascinating. Errors are easily propagated and eventually accepted as fact. I did not go to high school in Jamestown. I lived with my parents in Valley City through my graduation from VCHS in 1961. It was in in the winter of ‘61-’62, not 1958, that they sold their interest in the Dario and moved to Jamestown.
I may not remember everything in every book I’ve ever read but I do remember where I went to high school. It was in Valley City. It was not in Jamestown.
Roger, what drive-in did your parents buy in Jamestown? How long did they live in Jamestown?
Roger,
I thought that date might be wrong as I know you went all through VCHS, but I thought maybe they bought the drive-in and didn't move there until later. I also thought I might have been wrong and the paper must be correct. Another interesting fact is that a lady who worked for your parents in Jamestown met my neice in Dallas , Texas, and they connected through the connection of your parents to my parents, my neice's grandparents. It gets to be a small world. We were out of high school when your parents moved. How old was Cheryl when they moved and how long were they in Jamestown? Did they move to Florida after Jamestown? I think your father took my sister's wedding pictures.
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